They really do like hockey in Florida...

April 17, 2005 1:54 PM

Lightning begin their Stanley Cup Defense During the lockout and cancelled season, a Tampa Tribune sports writer has been using a popular hockey simulation game to play out the 2004-2005 season, and has been covering each game as if it were real. Yesterday the SimBolts took a 2-0 lead in their first round match, on the strength of Ruslan Fedotenko's hat trick. Final standings and league leaders. ¶ The Virtual Ottawa Senators have a 2-0 lead over the SimLeafs. I'll be checking back to see faux Ottawa choke.
posted by KS (14 comments total)

Ugh. Does this guy really need to rub it in?
posted by cmonkey at 3:27 PM on April 17, 2005

Lots of markets are doing this. Here is the Denver Post's version with the Avalanche playing the Eagles.
posted by jazon at 3:37 PM on April 17, 2005

They did this on TechTV too, with actual commentators. (Also stupid and pointless.)
posted by smackfu at 4:15 PM on April 17, 2005

The Leafs have ousted the Sens from the playoffs four times in the past five years. I suspect even the Virtual Leafs will make it 5-0.

Damn I miss hockey. A Stanley Cup-less April truly sucks.
posted by booner at 4:30 PM on April 17, 2005

The Leafs have ousted the Sens from the playoffs four times in the past five years. I suspect even the Virtual Leafs will make it 5-0.

You know why Montreal fans are better than Toronto fans?

At least they have a colour photo of their last Stanley Cup.
posted by Dark Messiah at 8:23 PM on April 17, 2005

irbe becomes god of goaltenders and take columbus to 2nd in the west.
shane doan makes the goal scoring leader list and markus naslund doesn't.
um...what?
posted by juv3nal at 8:25 PM on April 17, 2005

I'll pretend to be virtually interested in these virtual playoffs, then.
posted by five fresh fish at 8:33 PM on April 17, 2005

They did this on TechTV too, with actual commentators. (Also stupid and pointless.)

Oooh.... that seems even more stupid and pointless. It's just a bit more fun to read and imagine real hockey than to actually watch a computer play hockey, even with today's broadcast imitating graphics.

Ugh. Virtual Ottawa now has a 3-0 lead against the Leafs. Clearly some variable is missing in this simulation. (PS Virtual Montreal missed the playoffs.)
posted by KS at 8:44 PM on April 17, 2005

::Waving a virtual foam finger, and enjoying a virtual cold one::
posted by drezdn at 9:07 PM on April 17, 2005

I hope the point of your post wasn't to get in that little Go Leafs rar-rar thingy. Go virtual Ottawa! But really, this is painful to watch. I want to say I'm done with the NHL, but I know those heartless pricks will draw me back somehow. Maybe if in getting a new CBA they also realized "hey, we're not a major sport" and decided to focus on their core markets (there is a team in Nashville and no team in Quebec City...'splain), there might be a few more diehards like us. Sigh.
posted by Succa at 4:44 AM on April 18, 2005

I hope the point of your post wasn't to get in that little Go Leafs rar-rar thingy.

Nah. I just find it interesting that the Cup ended up in Florida, and now even with the inane lockout, there is someone working daily to keep folks interested in a sport that probably does not belong that far south.
posted by KS at 6:14 AM on April 18, 2005

So how'm I supposed to be interested in the pretend comuterized hockey when the pretend comuterized Red Wings aren't even in the playoffs? Bah.

As for where hockey (or any ice sport) belongs - The year that Winnipeg lost its team to Phoenix, I was at an open skate here in Detroit. It was May. I was babbling about how they should only play hockey in places that naturally have ice. My companion gave me one of those "You're nuts" looks and pointed toward the rink door, where outside it was sunny and 70-plus Fahrenheit.

Point taken. But still ...

[And I reiterate my previous complaint about Chelios' stoopid comment that Detroiters, being in a union town, can understand the players strike.
"Millionaire workers of the world unite."
Shut the hell up and play, ya sweaty overpaid freaks.]
posted by NorthernLite at 6:50 AM on April 18, 2005

Shut the hell up and play, ya sweaty overpaid freaks

Umm, you do realize that the players were locked-out by the owners.

They were (at the time) willing to play the season while negotiating the CBA but Bettman would have none of that.

I'm not sure what the players' position would be now if the owners were willing to end the lockout and continue the negotiation while the season was underway.

My feelings: Fire Bettman and Goodenow ASAP, stop the lockout and get the season started in the fall.
posted by smcniven at 7:11 AM on April 18, 2005

Eagles?
posted by GhostintheMachine at 10:20 AM on April 18, 2005